Manage Data in Excel

We have added useful guides to help you manage your data in an Excel file.

Manage Certified Entity and its Certification Data

Update Certified Entity and its Certification Data

Manage Certifed Entity and its Certification Data

What's New?

• Certificate template version 2.0 now has a separate sheet tab to manage the Certified Entity data.

  • Download template here

• Certification can have multiple sites

• Sites can be added at an Entity level.

Below are the fields in the certification version 2.0 Excel template.

Certified Entity

Here you can manage all Certified Entity-related data:

Field Name	Optional / Required	Description
Certified Entity Unique ID	Required	Unique identifier for a specific Certified Entity. Used as a reference or a tracking number to look up Certified Entity records in the IAF CertSearch database.
Certified Entity Name	Required	Name of the Certified Entity, individual, product, or service that has been granted certification.
Certified Entity Trading Name	Optional	A trade name, trading name, or business name is a pseudonym frequently used by companies to operate under a name different from their registered, legal name. In a number of countries, the phrase "trading as" (abbreviated to t/a) is used to designate a trade name.
Certified Entity English Name	Optional	English name of the Certified Entity, individual, product, or service that has been granted certification.
Confidential Certified Entity	Optional	Indicator of whether the certified entity's information is confidential.
Business Registered Street	Optional	Business registered address of the certified entity.
Business Registered City	Optional	City of the business registered address of the certified entity.
Business Registered State	Optional	State of the business registered address of the certified entity.
Business Registered Zipcode/Postcode	Optional	Zipcode/Postcode of the business registered address of the certified entity.
Business Registered Country/Economy	Required	Country/Economy of the main address of the certified entity.
Business Registered Full Address	Optional	Complete business registered address of the certified entity in a single field.
Certified Entity Website	Optional	Website of the certified entity. Must be http:// or https://
TAX ID	Optional	Tax ID of the Entity
VAT	Optional	VAT number of the Entity
Company ID Number	Optional	Company ID Number of the Entity
Business Registration Number	Optional	Business Registration Number of the Entity
DUNS Number	Optional	DUNS Number of the Entity

Certification

Here you can manage all Certification data:

Field Names	Optional / Required	Description
Certification Identity Number	Required	Unique identifier for a specific certificate. Format of certificate numbers may vary depending on the type of certificate and the Certified Entity issuing it.
Certificate Number	Required	Unique identifier for a specific certificate. Format of certificate numbers may vary depending on the type of certificate and the Certified Entity issuing it.
Certification Status	Required	Current standing of the Certified Entity's certification. Certificate status dataset: active, inactive, hidden, cancelled, withdrawn, cbwithdrawn, suspended, pending, deleted, or expired
Certification Type	Required	Refers to the main scope of the certificate
Certification Scope	Required	Specific description of the products, services, processes, or activities for which the Certified Entity has been granted certification.
Flexible Scope	Optional	Additional scope to a specific standard beyond the main scope.
Certification Original Issue Date	Optional	Date on which the certificate was first issued or granted to the Certified Entities.
Certification Issue Date	Required	Date on which the certificate was officially issued or granted
Certification Expiry Date	Required	Date on which the validity of the certificate will come to an end.
Certified Entity Unique ID	Required	Unique identifier for a specific Certified Entity. Used as a reference or a tracking number to look up Certified Entity records in the IAF CertSearch database
Main Site Street	Optional	Main address of the certified entity.
Main Site City	Optional	City of the main address of the certified entity.
Main Site State	Optional	State of the main address of the certified entity.
Main Site Zipcode/Postcode	Optional	Zipcode/Postcode of the main address of the certified entity.
Main Site Country/Economy	Required	Country/Economy of the main address of the certified entity.
Main Site Full Address	Optional	Complete main address of the certified entity in a single field, used as an alternative to entering separate Main Site Street, City, State, and Zipcode/Postcode fields.
Accreditation Body Name	Required	Name of the Accreditation Body
Accreditation Body Acronym	Required	Acronym of the Accreditation Body

Certification Standard & Scheme

Here you can manage the Certification Standard and Scheme data:

Field Name	Optional / Required	Description
Certification Identity Number	Required	Unique identifier for a specific certificate. Format of certificate numbers may vary depending on the type of certificate and the Certified Entity issuing it.
Scheme Name	Required	Specific certification program or framework to which the certificate relates.
Standard Name	Required	Specific set of criteria, requirements, or guidelines that the certified entity has been assessed against and found to be in compliance with.

Certification Sites

Here you can manage the Certification sites:

Field Names	Optional / Required	Description
Certification Identity Number	Required	Unique identifier for a specific certificate. Format of certificate numbers may vary depending on the type of certificate and the Certified Entity issuing it.
Certified Entity Unique ID	Required	Unique identifier for a specific Certified Entity. Used as a reference or a tracking number to look up Certified Entity records in the IAF CertSearch database.
Site Street	Optional	Main address of the certified entity.
City	Optional	City of the main address of the certified entity.
State	Optional	State of the main address of the certified entity.
Site Zipcode/Postcode	Optional	Zipcode/Postcode of the main address of the certified entity.
Site Country/Economy	Required	Country/Economy of the main address of the certified entity.
Site Full Address	Optional	Complete main address of the certified entity in a single field, used as an alternative to entering separate Main Site Street, City, State, and Zipcode/Postcode fields.
Site Type	Required	Identifier for the site, indicating whether it is the "Main Site" or an "Additional Site."

Import Certified Entity and its Certification data

NOTE: Importing Certified Entity and Certification data via Excel is recommended for bulk data import. If you want to update a single record or records no more than 10 certificates, we recommend using the Manual Data Entry. Prerequisites:

• Clean and format data according to the IAF CertSearch data structure. Learn more.

Tips: Ensure that the identifiers such as the Certified Entity Unique ID and Certification Identity Number match across the sheets.

1. In the Certification Excel spreadsheet, please enter the data into their corresponding Certified Entity and Certification fields.

2. Once completed, go to the IAF CertSearch Data Import page

3. Choose how you would like to import your data

   • File Upload - Learn how to import data through File Upload

   • FTP - Learn how to import data through FTP

4. Once selected, click the Continue button (the system will initiate file and data processing)

5. The certificate will be successfully added to the Certified Entity record if all the files and data are valid.

Note: If errors are encountered during the import process, go to Error Handling.

-> To view the added certifications go to the Certification listing page

-> To view the added Certified Entity go to the Certified Entity listing page

---

Updating Certified Entity data only

If you wish to update the information of the Certified Entity, please make sure that you are using the same record identifier saved in the IAF CertSearch database.

How to view the Certified Entity Unique ID saved in IAF CertSearch

1. Go to the Certified Entity detail page from your dashboard

2. Scroll down to the Systems Information card

3. Here you can see the UNIQUE ID saved in the database

   

To update Certified Entity information only:

1. In the excel sheet, go the Certified Entity tab

2. Apply the changes on the record you want to update

3. Once done, save your changes

4. go to the IAF CertSearch Data Import page

5. Choose how you would like to import your data

   • File Upload - Learn how to import data through File Upload

   • FTP - Learn how to import data through FTP

6. Once selected, click the Continue button (which initiates the data validation process)

7. If all the fields and data are valid, the certificate will be successfully added to the existing Certified Entity record.

---

Updating Certification data only

If you wish to update the information on the Certificate, please make sure that you are using the same record identifier saved in the IAF CertSearch database.

How to view the Certification Identity Number assigned to the certificate

At the moment displaying the Certification Identity Number within the dashboard is not yet available. In the meantime, you can retrieve the Certification Identity Number you assigned to the certificate record by going through the file either from your local storage or within the Import activities.

1. Go to Import page

2. Click the Activities tab

3. Here you can download all the files that you have uploaded

To update Certificate information only:

1. To update any certification data-related changes go to the following tabs:

   • Certification, when you want to update the certification status, issue details, certification scope or main site addresses, and the accreditation body.

   • Certification Standard & Scheme, when you want to update the Standard and Scheme of the certification.

   • Certification Sites, when you want to udpate the Additional sites of the certification.

2. Apply the changes on the record you want to update

3. Once done, save your changes

4. go to the IAF CertSearch Data Import page

5. Choose how you would like to import your data

   • File Upload - Learn how to import data through File Upload

   • FTP - Learn how to import data through FTP

6. Once selected, click the Continue button (which initiates the data validation process)

7. If all the fields and data are valid, the certificate will be successfully added to the existing Certified Entity record.

---

Updating Certified Entity and its Certification data

TIPS: We recommend updating the same file you used to upload your data, that way you minimize import interruptions or errors.

To update both Certified Entity and its Certification

1. To update an existing record please make sure that the following record identifiers match from the file to the existing record uploaded in IAF CertSearch:

• Certified Entity Unique ID, when updating any Certified Entity related data

• Certification Identity Number, when updating any certification related data

1. Apply the changes to the records you want to update.

2. Once updated, go to the IAF CertSearch Data Import page

3. Choose how you would like to import your data

   • File Upload - Learn how to import data through File Upload

   • FTP - Learn how to import data through FTP

4. Once selected, click the Continue button (which initiates the data validation process)

5. If all the fields and data are valid, the certificate will be successfully added to the existing Certified Entity record.

Note: If errors are encountered during the import process, go to Error Handling.